BeWOW: Do-It-Yourself Boot Camp Workout

Think of your workout this week as a DIY mini boot camp: fast paced, super intense and ridiculously effective. Here’s how it’ll work: You’re going to do four different sets of exercises. For each set, you will complete 20 reps of each exercise, then 15 reps, and finally 10 reps of each before moving on to the next set. Here are your exercises. Good luck!

BeWOW: Do-It-Yourself Boot Camp Workout

Set 1
Squat jumps
Push-ups
Sit-ups

Set 2
Dead lift with dumbbells
Bent-over rows
Ab twists

Set 3
Lunge jumps
Overhead press
Physioball crunches

Set 4
Lateral lunge
Tricep dips
Rocking plank

Explanation of exercises
*Click the links below for video how-tos.

Squat jumps: Stand with feet hip-width apart and perform a squat, dropping your rear until your knees are just behind your toes and your hamstrings are parallel to the floor. As you stand, propel yourself upwards and jump. Return to standing and squat again.

Push-up: Start lying face down with your chest on the floor, with hands facing forward and palms down in line with your shoulders; elbows should be pointing back. Push up until arms are extended (the inside of the elbow should be facing forward) and drop back down.

Sit-up: Lie on your back with feet on the floor and knees bent. Put your hands behind your ears. Without pulling on your neck and using only your abs, lift your shoulders off the mat and come to a full sit-up position. Lie back down slowly.

Dead lifts with dumbbells: Hold dumbbells with arms extended down so they’re resting on your thighs, feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping shoulders back and abs tight (and without locking your knees), bend at the hips and let the weights lower towards the floor, going as far as you can without bending your knees too much. Drive your heels in to the floor and stand to return to the starting position.

Bent-over rows: Hold a dumbbell in your hand with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Bend forward from the waist, keeping your spine straight and letting your hand fall forward in front of you. Pull the dumbbell back (you should feel like you’re rowing a boat), squeezing your shoulder blade. Do 10 on the left then switch and do 10 on the right. For more of a challenge, try a plank row in a push ups position with your hands on the weights)

Ab twists: Sit on the floor with knees bent, heels pressing into the ground. Lean back slightly and use your abs to twist side to side.

Lunge jumps: Start standing with feet together and step forward with the left leg into a lunge, bending knee to about 90 degrees. Jump as you stand back up and switch legs before you land, so your right leg is forward. Lunge again, then jump, putting your left leg forward, and so forth. Left and right counts as one.

Overhead press: Holding a pair of free weights at your shoulders with your palms facing forward, press the weights up over your head. Return the weights to your shoulders and repeat.

Physioball crunches: Lie on your back on a physioball (a.k.a. stability ball) with feet on the floor, knees bent at 90 degrees. Put your hands behind your head and tighten your abs as you perform a crunch, lifting your shoulders off the ball.

Lateral lunge: Standing with feet together, step to the side in a lunge, making sure your knee doesn’t bend past your toe. Return to standing and lunge on the other side.

Tricep dips: Sit on a bench or chair with your hands gripping the edge, fingers forward. Scoot your butt off the edge and walk your feet out a few steps. Drop your body and bend your elbows until they’re at 90 degrees. Push yourself back up until your arms are extended all the way.

Rocking plank: Get into a plank on your elbows and toes. Pressing from your toes, shift your body straight forward, pause, then pull your body back. Forward and back is one rep.

>> Did you complete this week’s BeWOW? Tell us how you did in the comments! Or, feel free to tweet at us about it using the hashtag #BeWOW. Check out all the BeWOW workouts here.

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Audrey McKenna Hasse is the owner of A.M.Fit, a personal training and healthy consultation business on the Main Line. You’ll find her workouts every week right here on Be Well Philly.